Mass Effect Toa
by Breakawayfan
Summary: On a normal day on the job, nine Toa warriors are suddenly warped to a different universe with only one clue: that they have a mission to complete. Now they must join Commander Shepard and her crew to stop a great threat and find a way home. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: An Intriguing Proposition**

In a space station in a remote part of the galaxy, a silhouetted man watched as an unnamed star clashed vivid colors of red and blue as it continued its aging process. This was the Illusive Man, head of an organization called Cerberus, a pro-human organization that was reputed as terrorists by the Alliance and Citadel councils for their methods. As the Illusive Man took a drag from the cigarette he was holding in his fingers, he contemplated the recent events since Commander Regina Shepard's revival. She and two Cerberus agents, Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor, were being sent to Freedom's Progress in the Terminus to investigate a recent disappearance of a human colony. Illusive Man had assumed that the Collectors were behind the abductions, since they were the only species capable of such a feat. As the leader of Cerberus awaited the results, he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't alone. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a deep, powerful voice ring out of the darkness in the dimly lit room.

"I never thought I'd meet another soul with a desperate desire to protect his people," the voice said as its owner strode out of the shadows. Lowering his cigarette, the Illusive Man turned around to get a good look at his "guest." This being stood seven feet tall at the most, was clad in gold armor, and had eyes that shone a bright shade of blue. But what interested the Illusive Man the most was the strange mask that the being was wearing. Just simply looking at it gave him the feeling that he was in the presence of a man of power.

"Who exactly are you, and how did you find this place?" Illusive Man asked as he walked over to the stranger.

"I am Mata Nui," the stranger replied as he offered a handshake, which Illusive Man returned, "I am the Great Spirit of my home world, Spherus Magna. One of my abilities is being able to instantly travel to other worlds or realms at will. After I was able to restore my world and returned it to peace, I decided to take the opportunity to explore new worlds, as I once did before. This realm was quite interesting to me, as there are many worlds and cultures for me to observe. Then I heard whispers about these colonies being abducted, so I wanted to know who would try to stop it. It wasn't long after that I began sensing a will that desired to stand up to the threat. Choosing to follow it, I was soon led to this place." Illusive Man listened intently to Mata Nui's story. If this being had the power to instantly travel to other worlds without the need for a ship or a Mass Relay station, who knew what else he was capable of? Deciding that it would be a foolish choice to pass up whatever opportunity the strange visitor had to present, Illusive Man took a puff of smoke and looked Mata Nui in the eye.

"If you came all this way just to see me, then I'm listening intently on what you have to offer," Illusive Man said before taking another puff of smoke.

"On my travels throughout this realm, I've heard rumors about this person called 'Shepard' who reportedly went missing two years ago before mysteriously resurfacing," Mata Nui answered, "Then I heard another rumor that a being who was simply referred to as the 'Illusive Man' funded a project to bring her back. Coincidentally, just as she was brought back, this 'Collector' species began abducting colonies. I wish to offer you some assistance for this mission." Illusive Man raised an eyebrow as he lowered his cigarette.

"Are you offering your own services, or are you simply making a recommendation for someone else?" The leader of Cerberus inquired.

"While I am an extremely powerful being, I cannot fight another's battles for them, but I can send you a few of my own world's warriors to help… _Shepard_ on her mission," answered Mata Nui.

"And what do your warriors have to offer for humanity?" Illusive Man asked once again.

"Another chapter to add to your history," was all Mata Nui had to say.

"What, may I ask, are these warriors capable of?" Illusive Man inquired before inhaling another puff of smoke.

"The power of a Toa warrior is not to be underestimated," replied Mata Nui, "Individually, they are powerful, but together as a whole, they are almost unstoppable." This got the Illusive Man very interested.

"Very well, I accept your offer," he said. Mata Nui grinned and nodded before he closed his eyes and disappeared in a flash of bright light. Illusive Man turned back to the aging star outside and continued watching its colors battle for dominance, taking a drag from his cigarette in the process.

…

It was just another day on the job for Goran and his team as they were defending a Matoran village from an invasion of Skakdi raiders. The Toa of Plasma had fought these ruthless beings many times before. Skakdi were a vicious race that were experimented on by a Makuta named Spiriah, who wanted to give the Brotherhood of Makuta a grunt force with power that could rival a Toa, but the experiments took an unexpected turn. The Skakdi became more violent than they normally were and they couldn't use their power without another Skakdi of the same element next to them. Two red Skakdi leapt in front of Goran and released a stream of searing flames at him, only for the Toa of Plasma to block it with a plasma shield and blast them away with a blast of plasma energy. Once his opponents were dealt with, Goran looked over to see how his teammates were doing. Tano, the resident Toa of Stone, was busy taking down a blue Skakdi with his maces while Calibi, the resident Toa of Air, sent three Skakdi flying at once with a powerful gale. Ranar, the Fire Toa, blocked a laser vision attack from one of his Skakdi adversaries with his shield before thrusting his spear forward blowing the brute away with a stream of red flames that spouted from the spear's tip. Kirro and Tesla, the team's Water and Lightning Toa, took out a bunch of Skakdi by using a new "hydroelectric" combination they had been practicing, with Kirro holding her right arm forward and Tesla holding her left arm over it, then both Toa releasing a stream of their respective elements, the energy from the two elements instantly knocking out any Skakdi it hit. The Earth Toa Syrne was lifting the Ice Toa Geler into the air with his Mask of Telekinesis while the latter began blasting Skakdi below with a hail of ice blasts; with the Iron Toa Demir was busy holding off any Skakdi that would try to attack from the sides or behind. After a long battle with the raiders, Goran got a feeling that the hard part was being saved for last, and his suspicions were confirmed when the Skakdi began to part to the side, and the nine Toa heard a loud roar in the background. Knowing that the true fight had arrived, Goran drew out his Thermal Swords and prepared for the worst, the other Toa following his lead. Just then, a blue Skakdi, notably larger than the rest, approached the nine warriors with two Crescent Scythes in his hands, his red eyes gleaming with an intimidating malice. Goran recognized this Skakdi.

"Nektann," the Toa of Plasma sneered as he prepared for any battle that might follow, "I should've known that your lackeys would bust you out of prison, but attacking an unarmed village is a new low for you." Nektann simply chuckled in response.

"You really think I'd go to the trouble of ransacking a worthless village just to cause a bit of mayhem?" Nektann taunted, "That was the bait. What I was really hoping was to see how the Order would react, and they made the predictable choice of sending their Toa lackeys to do the dirty job for them. But I never expected them to send an old warrior to lead the crew. They must be more desperate than I thought." That sent Goran over the edge. It was true that, as he was one of the first Toa to ever be created, he was a bit older than the average Toa warrior, but even though he was almost past his prime, that didn't mean he was weak, and his comrades knew it. Without a moment's hesitation, Goran prepared his swords and charged at Nektann, who blocked a downward slash with one of his scythes. The Skakdi warlord retaliated against the attack by kicking Goran in the chest and trying a sideways chop, only for the Toa to recover from the kick and duck the oncoming blade. What Goran did next gave Nektann quite a surprise: his mask began glowing, and before the Skakdi knew it, there were four "Goran's" standing in front of him. Nektann realized then and there that Goran was wearing a Mask of Illusions.

"Now you're just playing dirty, old man," Nektann said as the four "Toa" began encircling him with their swords pointed at him. Nektann tried to attack the Toa in front of him, but as Goran predicted, the scythe went right through the copy in front of him like it was nothing but air. Nektann tried the same attack with the copy on his left, but got the same result. Growing frustrated, Nektann began swinging wildly at the four copies, only to find that his Crescent Scythes weren't even scratching his "opponents." Just when his rage was at its zenith, Nektann became completely blind to everything around him… including a green Skakdi approaching him from the side. As Nektann continued his futile assault, the Skakdi put his hands forward and released a blast of plasma energy at Nektann, sending him flying into the side of a building. The weakened Skakdi warlord tried his best to look up… and saw the Skakdi that attacked him glow with a withe light and transform back into Goran himself.

"Not bad for an old warrior, huh?" Goran taunted as Nektann faded out of consciousness. The Toa of Plasma then turned over to the remaining Skakdi, casting them a glare that was colder than any ice. "Leave… _now_," Goran spat. The remaining Skakdi quickly turned and fled the village. Demir walked over to Goran.

"I just sent word out to the order of Mata Nui. They said they'll be here to pick up the garbage in an hour," the Toa of Iron said. Goran nodded in approval. Ever since he and his team had joined the Order of Mata Nui, they had been receiving good recognition from their fellow agents and other Toa, including the Toa Nuva themselves. And it also benefitted the Toa that Demir's mask was a Suletu, or Mask of Telepathy, which allowed him to communicate with others over long distances mentally along with mind reading and other things.

"Excellent. Then our job here is done," replied Goran before turning to the rest of his team, "Toa, prepare to move out." Before the nine warriors could even take a step forward, however, the Toa were suddenly enveloped in a white light. When the light faded, the Toa were nowhere to be seen.

…

**Chapter one is now complete. I decided to use the female Shepard in this story because that was the character I used when I first cleared Mass Effect 2. I also decided to use original characters for the Toa because I thought it would be fun to try and experiment with new characters instead of using an already-existing one.**

**Next chapter, Goran and his team wake up and find themselves on a strange world inhabited by unfamiliar beings, and Shepard and the crew of the **_**Normandy**_** get an interesting surprise with their new recruits. Until next time, read, enjoy, and review!**

**PS: Here's the cast for the Toa so you can understand how they'd sound:**

**Goran: Fred Tatasciore**

**Ranar: Nolan North**

**Tano: Mark Hamill**

**Calibi: Dee Bradley Baker**

**Kirro: Tara Strong  
**

**Tesla: Cree Summers  
**

**Syrne: Kevin Michael Richardson**

**Geler: Will Friedle**

**Demir: Jeffery Combs**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Less-than-friendly Welcome**

The Illusive Man was sitting in his office chair, the glow from the star behind him faintly illuminating the room. As he took a sip from a drink he was holding, thinking about Mata Nui's words, a hologram appeared in front of him. Illusive Man knew this figure instantly. It was the recently rebuilt Commander Shepard herself. She was strongly-built woman in her mid-20s, with bob-cut brown hair, amber eyes, and a few scars lining her face, indicating that she was rebuilt with cybernetics. Illusive Man set his drink down on the holder in his chair's armrest as he looked Shepard in the eye.

"Shepard, good work on Freedom's Progress," Illusive Man congratulated, "The Quarians forwarded their findings from Veetor's debriefing. No new data, but it's a surprising olive branch, given our history. You and I may have different methods, but I can't argue with your results."

"Have you ever thought about playing nice every once in a while?" Shepard quipped as she crossed her arms.

"Diplomacy is great when it works, but it's also difficult when everyone already sees you as a threat," Illusive Man replied, "But more importantly, you were able to confirm that the Collectors are behind the abductions." With this, Shepard began to get suspicious.

"Why do I get the feeling you already knew about them?" Shepard asked, her eyes narrowing into a glare.

"I had my suspicions, but I needed proof. The Collectors are enigmatic at best," Illusive Man responded in his usual calm demeanor, "They periodically enter the Terminus Systems, looking to gather seemingly unimportant items or specimens, usually in exchange for their technology. When their transactions are completed, they leave just as quickly as they arrived: back beyond the unmapped Omega 4 relay. Until now, we've had no evidence of direct aggression by the Collectors." Shepard raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You're holding back on something. How do you know that the Reapers are involved?" She inquired.

"The patterns are there, buried in the data," Illusive Man replied, "The Council and the Alliance want to believe the Reaper threat died with sovereign. But you and I know better. I won't wait until the Reapers are on the march. We need to take the fight to them." Shepard nodded in agreement.

"If this is a war, then I'll need an army, or a really good team," Shepard said. Remembering Mata Nui's proposal and visit, Illusive Man prepared to tell Shepard her instructions.

"I've already compiled a list of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries. You'll get dossiers on the best of them," the leader of Cerberus answered as a list of names appeared on a holo-screen appeared in front of him, "Finding and getting them to work with you could be a challenge, but you're a natural leader. I'll continue to track the Collectors. When they make their next appearance, I'll notify you and your team. Be ready."

"You worry about the Collectors, and I'll make sure my team's ready," Shepard answered.

"Good. Four things before you go: first, head to Omega and find Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant Salarian scientist. Our intelligence says that he may know how to counteract the Collectors' paralyzing Seeker swarms. Also, the bounty hunter Zaeed Massani will be awaiting your arrival on Omega." Once again, Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't even started and you're already telling me what to do?" Shepard questioned as she crossed her arms.

"I'm simply giving you direction. What you do with it is completely up to you. I'm sure you'll make the right decision," Illusive Man answered.

"Alright, what's next?" Shepard asked.

"Also on Omega are a team of warriors sent over from a… _reliable_ source. They might seem a bit lost and confused when you meet them, but I've been assured that they'll fight for you. They might be a small team, but they're powerful," Illusive Man replied. Shepard looked confused when she heard the Illusive Man say "reliable source." "And one last thing before you head out: I've found a pilot that you might like. I hear he's one of the best. Someone you can trust." With that, Illusive Man turned off the transmission.

…

Goran opened his eyes and slowly sat up. The Toa of Plasma slowly turned his head back and forth to try and get a look at his surroundings. From what he saw, he could tell that he was in what appeared to be a slum. Goran then turned around and saw that his teammates were all sprawled out in different parts of the area. Tesla groaned as she sat up holding her head.

"Where are we?" the Toa of Lightning asked as she shakily rose to her feet.

"I don't know, but we need to get everyone else up and find out where we are," Goran replied. With that, the two Toa helped their teammates get back onto their feet and prepared to leave. But before they could take one step forward, Geler heard a voice ring out from behind him.

"Hey, you," a deep voice said, "Aria wants to see you at Afterlife." The Toa turned around and saw an unfamiliar humanoid creature with ridged features on his face and four eyes, the two on top smaller than the ones on the bottom. Goran raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who's Aria and what is this 'Afterlife?'" Goran asked, prompting the being to chuckle.

"Just follow me. Disobeying Aria would be disastrous to your health… and mine also," replied the stranger. Goran looked over to his companions, who all looked a bit suspicious about the message, and gave a reassuring nod. With that, the Toa followed the strange creature, which identified himself as a "Batarian," left the slum, and entered a large, neon-lit street, lined with beings of many different species wandering around, and assorted apartments lining the side of the street, and there were even small flames coming out of several pipes. Seeing this environment made Demir remember his days back when he was an engineer on Xia. People hustling and bustling, crowded streets, and otherwise unhealthy living conditions. When he selected to become a Toa, Demir had never felt happier to get away from that island. However, a voice snapped the Toa of Iron out of his reminiscing.

"Hey Demir, wake up. We're here," Tano teased as Demir looked up and saw the word "Afterlife" written in bold neon lights. The front door opened, and everyone could instantly hear loud music and people laughing, and Calibi even had to shield his eyes from the bright lights inside.

_This place must be some kind of private club_," Goran thought as he and the others were led to another pair of doors, and once they opened, the Toa saw the true inside of Afterlife. There were people at bars having drinks, patrons going for it on the dance floor, and even dancers in rather skimpy outfits performing different dances. Just as Goran was about to ask about the way of life on this place, the Batarian led the Toa up a staircase and brought them up to a balcony that overlooked the rest of the club. Standing behind two guards was a female with what appeared to be short tentacles on the back of her head. Goran proceeded to take a step forward, but then the female spoke.

"That's close enough," she said as her guards drew out weapons that resembled the blasters back in their home world and aimed it at them. Goran raised an eyebrow at the gesture without flinching before turning back to the female.

"Aria, I presume?" the Toa of Plasma asked as the female turned around.

"You presume right," Aria replied. Goran looked at Aria for a second and noticed that while her body suggested a sweet, innocent woman, her amethyst eyes burned with the violent passion of a warlord who could kill in the blink of an eye. Aria then motioned her guards to lower their weapons, and then gestured Goran to take a seat on the couch opposite to hers.

"I'm guessing from all the additional security in this facility that you're this world's ruler?" Goran inquired, which Aria responded to with a straight-up laugh.

"I wouldn't necessarily call Omega a 'world,' but yes, and I don't just rule Omega…" Aria replied as she faced the club and spread her arms out as if to indicate something, "…I _am_ Omega. I'm the boss, CEO, even _queen_ if you're feeling dramatic. And on Omega, there's no ruler and only one rule: don't _**fuck**_ with Aria."

"Did this lady kiss her mother with that mouth?" Syrne whispered into Ranar's ear, prompting the Toa of Fire to chuckle at the Earth Toa's remark on Aria's language.

"And if you forget, then _someone_ will remind you," the Asari said as she gestured to the Batarian behind her.

"Then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock," the Batarian said as he cracked his knuckles. Goran, completely unfazed by the threat, looked Aria dead in the eye as he asked his question.

"So what exactly was the reason that you invited us into this place, because if you haven't noticed, Toa don't party," the Toa of Plasma inquired, prompting Aria to chuckle once again.

"You're here because Cerberus sent me a file about you guys," Aria replied, "They didn't say who it was from, only that you and your team would help Commander Shepard on some mission of hers." Just then, her Turian guard spoke up.

"Aria, Commander Shepard has just arrived," the Turian said. Aria grinned widely.

"Speak of the devil," she said. Just then, a woman with short brown hair wearing a toughened suit of battle armor and carrying several weapons appeared, followed by a man with dark brown skin wearing his own armor, albeit lighter than the female's; a man with a hideous scar on the right side of his face and wearing old, battle-worn armor; and another woman with pale skin, long brown hair and wearing a white cat-suit. After the armored woman and her three companions got up to the balcony, the Batarian guard opened up a wrist-device that the Toa had never seen before.

"Stand still," the Batarian said as he proceeded to scan them. The woman in armor raised an eyebrow.

"If you're looking for weapons, then you're not doing a very good job," she said as she took out a small blaster and pointed it at the guard's face.

"Can't be too careful with dead Specters," Aria said, "That could be anyone wearing your face.

"I was told that you're the one to talk to if I have questions," the woman said as the Batarian lowered his device.

"They're clean," he said before backing off. Aria then motioned the armored woman to take a seat next to Goran.

"Commander Shepard?" Goran guessed. Shepard looked over at the white-and-orange warrior.

"That's me," she replied, "You must be that team of 'powerful warriors' the Illusive Man mentioned earlier." Tesla got a smug grin on her face.

"That sounds like us," the Toa of Lightning said. Aria decided right then and there to get to business.

"So, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"I'm looking for Archangel," Shepard replied.

"You and half of Omega," Aria said with a small grin, "You want him dead too?"

"Why is everyone after him?" Shepard inquired.

"He thinks he's fighting for the side of good," answered Aria, "There is no 'good side' to Omega. Everything he does just pisses someone off. It's finally catching up to him."

"That's just the guy I'm looking for," Shepard responded. Her answer actually gave Aria a bit of a surprise.

"Really? Well aren't you interesting?" the Asari quipped, "You're going to make quite a few enemies teaming up with Archangel. That's assuming you can get to him. He's in a bit of trouble right now."

"What kind of trouble?" Goran asked. Hearing about this "Archangel" had gotten his interest, and the Toa of Plasma wanted to see him in person.

"The local merc groups have joined forces to take him down," Aria replied, "They've got him cornered, but it looks like they're having trouble finishing him off. Now they're hiring anyone with a gun to do the job."

"That sounds like our ticket in," said the dark-skinned man as everyone looked over at him.

"They're using a private room for recruiting. Just over there," Aria stated as she pointed over in the direction of the room, "I'm sure they'll sign you up."

"I'm also looking for Mordin Solus. Do you know where I can find him?" Shepard asked.

"The Salarian doctor? Last I heard, he was trying to help plague victims down in the quarantine zone," Aria answered, "I always liked Mordin. He's just as likely to heal you as he is to shoot you." This got Kirro worried. Plague? Quarantine zone? This sounded pretty serious, especially for someone with her kind of powers.

"What can you tell me about him?" Shepard asked.

"Used to be part of the Salarian Special Tasks Group. He's brilliant and dangerous," Aria said, "Just don't get him talking. He never shuts up. If you really need to find him, just take a shuttle to the quarantine zone. No guarantee they'll let you in, of course."

"Thanks for the information," Shepard said as she and Goran stood up.

"Yes. Just try not to bring the plague back with you," Aria said, her face twisting into a sneer. Shepard and Goran approached their respective teams and brought them both together.

"Alright, let's split up into two teams. That way we can find our targets faster," Shepard explained, "I'll take Zaeed with me to find Archangel, while Jacob and Miranda will get Mordin." Then she turned over to Goran. "If you and your team want to add anything in, feel free to do so." Goran nodded and walked over.

"With all due respect, Commander, but I think that going into potentially hostile territory alone is a suicidal idea," the Toa of Plasma said as he gestured over to his team, "My fellow Toa are just as skilled as, if not more than, your soldiers and mercenaries, and we've got all the power we need to back it up."

"So who are you sending with us for the missions?" asked Miranda.

"I will join Shepard on her quest for Archangel," Goran replied, "Demir and Kirro will join you and – Jacob, right? – on your mission to find the doctor." Shepard smirked and nodded as the mentioned Toa of Iron walked over and stood over with Jacob and Miranda. "The rest of you will wait on the Commander's ship."

"Miranda and I can take the rest of your team back to the ship when we start our mission," Jacob offered. Shepard and Goran looked at each other and nodded in approval.

"Alright Toa, you all have your orders. Let's prepare to move out," Goran instructed. Shepard looked at the old warrior and smiled. She hadn't known him for a full half-hour and she already began developing a growing respect for him. This warrior had all the aspects of a leader, and she couldn't wait to fight alongside him.

…

**That's a wrap on Chapter 2. Both missions on Omega will be happening at the same time, so they'll be split into two separate chapters. But they'll both have a similar beginning: Shepard and her team leading the Toa to the **_**Normandy**_** before going to find their respective recruits. As always, read, enjoy, and review!**


End file.
